Using non digital food scale

Hello i am wounding if using a non digital food scale is just as useful as the digital one . I not talking about the little 16oz one the one i have is an 7lbs non digital scale i just wounding if their just as good as the digital one for brewing purposes??

Sure it can be used. The only issue (same as a digital) is how precise it is and how accurate.

If it measures down to 1/8th a pound and you only need 1/4 pound, you are set there.

But if 1 pound measures at 1.25 and 3lb measures at 2.75, you have issues.

+1 The accuracy would be a big conern for me.

They’re good for grain, larger amounts of hops. If you need to do any water treatments, a digital scale is a plus.

I weigh my grain, hops, water treatments, conditioning water and more on mine.

I use something like that to weigh out grain. If it is a little off, not much worry when you are talking ten pounds. For hops or anything in the ounces or less it is about useless.

I’d be less worried about accuracy (digital scales can be inaccurate too) and more worried about precision.

You are wrong dear. Digital scales are more accurate and provide exact figures
http://www.elitescales.com/pocket-scales.html
. Non digital scales are old designs but digital scales are latest technology scales. I think you need to try a trusted digital scale.

You are wrong dear. Digital scales are more accurate and provide exact figures. Non digital scales are old designs but digital scales are latest technology scales. I think you need to try a trusted digital scale.[/quote]
???
Hate to sound like I’m attacking a first time poster, but that is totally wrong. Digital instruments are usually more precise than non-digital ones, but accuracy is a function of the intrinsic design of the sensor element/mechanism/circuit and calibration methods. This is complicated by the possibility to drift or loose accuracy over time. All measurement instruments can loose accuracy, but digital instruments are more at risk for this because they are typically more complicated - they have more things that can break/go wrong.

So while digital instruments are usually easier to use, you need to be aware that they should be checked more frequently for accuracy. And be aware that just because a readout goes to 3 decimal places doesn’t mean it is accurate to even one.

Bingo!

Precision is all about how consistently you can get the same result. Accuracy is how close your results are to “correct.” So if you’re shooting a gun, and aiming for the bullseye, Precision is measured by how tightly your shots cluster together, accuracy is how well the cluster centers on the actual bullseye.

Very interesting example to set out the distinction. I had never thought about it that way.

:cheers:

Its funny how people assume digital is better just because they always give you a precise number (& the illusion of both precision & accuracy) but may be no better than analog scales.

[quote=“rebuiltcellars”]
???
Hate to sound like I’m attacking a first time poster, but that is totally wrong. Digital instruments are usually more precise than non-digital ones, but accuracy is a function of the intrinsic design of the sensor element/mechanism/circuit and calibration methods. This is complicated by the possibility to drift or loose accuracy over time. All measurement instruments can loose accuracy, but digital instruments are more at risk for this because they are typically more complicated - they have more things that can break/go wrong.

So while digital instruments are usually easier to use, you need to be aware that they should be checked more frequently for accuracy. And be aware that just because a readout goes to 3 decimal places doesn’t mean it is accurate to even one.[/quote]
Meh, I’m always suspicious of posters whose first post is in an old thread. Check the time stamps.

Missed that. So it may have been a troll; now I don’t feel so bad.

+1. I use the cheapo non-digital scale for grain. Hops (and other hop like items :wink: ) go on the digital scale

EDIT: HA! That’ll teach me to read the whole thread before posting. Damn spammers! :oops:

Non digital scales are not bad but in these days digital scales are commonly used and peoples also like to use digital food scales

because it’s easy to configure with these. How ever a lot of different kinds of digital and non digital scales are on stores and shopping centers and used .

So, my original point (2 years ago) was that, even if you 7lb analog scale is accurate, it is probably imprecise due to the readout. In other words, it might be fine for weighing out grains in whole or half pound increments, but are you going to be able to tell the difference between 6oz and 8oz of a specialty malt? As for weighing hops, I think you need 0.1 oz resolution minimum.

I assume this is just a spammer. I’m not sure why but threads dealing with scales seem to be resurrected often by spammers. There are 2 really old threads in the recent posts by the same guy.